In honor of Ai Weiwei’s current show at the Gardiner Museum (which I have yet to see), here are a few of his best quotes. He’ll be at the Gardiner until June 9, 2019.

.

Above: An Ai Weiwei sculpture as seen at Toronto’s Nuit Blanche

“If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?”

“An artwork unable to make people feel uncomfortable or to feel different is not one worth creating. This is the difference between the artist and the fool.”

“When human beings are scared and feel everything is exposed to the government, we will censor ourselves from free thinking. That’s dangerous for human development.”

“I call on people to be ‘obsessed citizens,’ forever questioning and asking for accountability. That’s the only chance we have today of a healthy and happy life.”

“To the media, I have become a symbolic figure, critical of China. According to the government, I am a dangerous threat.”

“A nation that has no music and no fairytales is a tragedy.”

“People are always wondering if I am an artist or political activist or politician. Maybe I’ll just clearly tell you: Whatever I do is not art. Let’s say it is just objects or materials, movies or writing, but not art, OK?”

“My work has always been political, because the choice of being an artist is political in China.”

“Why are you so concerned about society?’ That is always the question. And my answer is simple: ‘Because you are an artist, you have to associate yourself with freedom of expression.”

There was this world famous painter. In the prime of her career, she started losing her eyesight. Fearful that she might lose her life as a painter, she went to see the best eye surgeon in the world.

After several weeks of delicate surgery and therapy, her eyesight was restored. The painter was so grateful that she decided to show her gratitude by repainting the doctor’s office.

Part of her work included painting a gigantic eye on one wall. When she had finished her work, she held a press conference to unveil her latest work of art: the doctor’s office.

During the press conference, one reporter noticed the eye on the wall, and asked the doctor, “What was your first reaction upon seeing your newly painted office, especially that large eye on the wall?”

To this, the eye doctor responded, “I said to myself ‘Thank God I’m not a proctologist.'”

——

Went to an M.C. Escher exhibition today. All the best prints were on the second floor but unfortunately I couldn’t get there.

This past weekend, I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) to see it’s latest blockbuster exhibition, Impressionism in the Age of Industry. Here is a short review.

.

ABOVE: Maximilien Luce, The Steelworks, 1895, oil on canvas

If you love art, and even if you don’t, chances are, you’ve heard of a group of artists called the Impressionists. The Art Gallery of Ontario’s latest exhibition Impressionism in the Age of Industry has many of them, including Monet and Pissarro.

While it’s always nice to see the big names represented, as is often the case, many of the best works in this show are by some of the lesser known of the group. One of my favorite pieces was The Steelworks (pictured above) by Maximilien Luce, and one of my favorite artists was Gustave Caillebotte. He figured prominently in the exhibition, and the selection of his paintings showed a progression from expressionism to realism (he and Manet are probably the most realistic artists of the movement).

As for the overall style of the show, what I love most about the Impressionists, is their ability to create work that appears completely different depending upon your proximity to it. Up close, it’s blurry. From afar, it’s very much in focus. All art does this to a degree, but the Impressionists were masters of it.

Owing to its subject matter (industrialization), this isn’t the brightest of exhibitions. That said, while the color palette is often dull, the paintings do show the beauty in the mundane, and the common worker is respected, if not revered.

All told, this is another solid effort by the Art Gallery of Ontario, and a show worth checking out.

Impressionism in the Age of Industry is at the Art Gallery of Ontario until May 5, 2019.

I’ve been hibernating most of the winter, but it is time to go see some art. Here are three exhibitions I plan to visit in the coming weeks. I’ll write a review of each as I do.

.

ABOVE: The Art Gallery of Ontario, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Ai Weiwei: Unbroken, Gardiner Museum, February 28 – June 9, 2019

I’m a big fan of Ai Wewei, and loved his last show at the Art Gallery of Ontario. This time, he is bringing his ceramic works to the Gardiner. If you’re still avoiding winter, there’s still lots of time to see this exhibition.

Impressionism in the Age of Industry: Monet, Pissaro and More, Art Gallery of Ontario, February 16 – May 5, 2019

Probably the biggest show of the season, this is likely to be it’s most popular as well. Like the show above, this one runs into the spring, so if you’re still in hibernation mode, you’ve got lots of time. I plan on seeing it this weekend.

Museum of Contemporary Art

After a lengthy hiatus, the Museum of Contemporary Art opened its doors in September. I’ve been meaning to check it out since then. Hopefully, I’ll make it out there soon. The new space looks awesome.

I recently came across Velvet Buzzsaw on Netflix, and being a fan of anything to do with art and the art world, decided to watch it. For those considering it, here is a quick review.

.

Horror is a strange beast. When done poorly – which it often is – it is one of films worst genres. When done well – a rare occurrence indeed – it is one of the smartest. Velvet Buzzsaw falls somewhere in between. It’s not as bad as most horror films, but it’s a little too clunky, and well…artsy to be a good fit for everyone.

The film certainly has it out for the art world. This is, at times funny, but is also kinda like making fun of Nickleback – it’s an easy target. Being an outsider, I’m not really sure how accurate it is in its depiction, although I imagine there’s at least a tiny bit of truth somewhere within it.

No one in the film is likable, so when things get gory, it’s hard to feel any sympathy for them. This is fairly common in the genre, but the best horror films manage to humanize their subjects while pulling on the viewers heartstrings.

As for the gore itself, some of it is kind of cool; some of it is kind of silly. It is possible to strike a balance between the two, but this films struggles to do so. Not all its scenes are created equal.

All of this is not to say I disliked the film – I actually liked it. That said, if I were to recommend it, it would only be to my fellow art nerds, or die-hard horror fans. If you’re one of the two, perhaps you should give Velvet Buzzsaw a shot. If not, there are probably better things to watch.